When the YMCA unveils its plans for the Bessey School site later this month, it will include a renovation of the school building into 30 to 40 senior citizen apartments.

During a meeting last week with members of Scarborough’s two senior organizations, YMCA officials said they are working with Housing Initiatives of New England to renovate the facility into apartments.

Housing Initiatives of New England is a Portland-based non-profit organization that operates 17 senior housing complexes in Maine and New Hampshire.

According to the organization’s president, Cynthia Milliken Taylor, Housing Initiatives plans on refurbishing the school and adding on where necessary in order to fit 30 to 40 units on site. Taylor said the project would cost between $4 million and $5 million.

“I’d love to see it restored to the majesty it once knew,” Taylor said about the project.

Renovating the Bessey School for senior housing was one stipulation the Town Council specified when it met with YMCA leaders last month to discuss the availability of the property.

Currently the Scarborough school district owns the property and would have to agree to any transfer in ownership to the town. However, the building is no longer used for school purposes and, except for a couple of school-related offices, the only tenant is Ruth’s Reusable Resources.

The YMCA had initially looked at a two-acre parcel of land next to Town Hall. However, YMCA officials felt the parcel was too small and would not allow for any future expansion. After looking at a number of parcels in the Oak Hill area and elsewhere in town they arrived at the Bessey School site, which not only has a good amount of room, but also is near the schools.

The YMCA is now in the process of fund-raising and developing the programming for the new facility, which is expected to cost between $8 million and $10 million.

Also under consideration is the addition of a 50-meter pool. YMCA officials have specified that they will not build the larger pool unless they are able to raise an additional $4 million to pay for its construction and its future maintenance. If they are unable to do so, they will build the facility with a 25-yard pool and allow for a future addition.

Hannaford Brothers has said it will be the leader of the capital campaign.